Chapter 14

Jared was a usual early riser and was surprised when he woke and it was just after 8 o'clock. He made quick work of shaving and showering and just as he was getting out he heard the room phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Coach Winslow, it's Elmer Hollins, Boge's father. I work some nights at O'Hare and saw you come in last night and thought you might looking to see Boge. I called him this morning and he said he never heard from you and I was wondering if you had a hard time getting in touch with him."

Jared chuckled before he apologized, "I'm sorry, I know I said I would see Boge over the summer, but actually I'm on a pleasure trip to meet a friend. However, as long as you called, how is he doing? Are his troubles behind him?"

"Well, I'll cross my fingers, but so far he is a changed man, and I do mean man. Suddenly he has taken a lot more responsibility for himself isn't so much of a rebel. He wanted to do something over the summer to keep himself busy and out of trouble so he's helping run football camps for kids through The Boys Club. Dexter Tanksley, the old Bears star, runs the day camps and has taken my boy under his wing." Elmer explained.

"That's great! I should look him up while I'm here just to see him work. Where are the camps held?" Jared said suddenly excited that one of his summer worries may have flipped into the sure thing column.

"They do them in a few locations, but right now they're at Crawford-Wilmette Consolidated School. It's on Crawford Ave between Wilmette and the Glenview suburbs." Elmer told him.

"I'll be in the Wilmette area with someone from there so I should be able to find it. If I have a problem I'll call you back. Don't tell him I'm coming, I'd rather just walk on and watch for a few minutes before he knows I'm there." Jared asked before saying goodbye and finishing getting ready to leave.

Having missed the bulk of the early traffic he got to the Wilmette area and Meaghan's house with no problems and pulled up in front a few minutes after nine to see Declan waiting and watching at the screen door.

"Hi Coach, are coming to take my Mommy to another Prom?" Young Declan asked innocently.

"No, I'm coming to meet you and maybe have the 3 of us do something fun together. Would you like that?" Jared said as he let himself in.

Meaghan came out of the kitchen as she heard the voices.

"Oh my God, what is Declan asking you?"

"He wants to know if we were going to another Prom." Jared said with an embarrassed smile.

"Breakfast is on the table. Declan you come sit next to Mommy while I explain to you what we did last night." She said while winking at Jared.

"Coach Jared took Mommy to a nice restaurant last night and then we went for a ride along the lake so I could show him the lights of the city." Meg explained.

"I thought you were going to a Prom?"

"No I told you that Coach took me to MY Prom when I was in school like your friend Benjamin's sister." She told Declan and then looked up to Jared, saying "Benjamin told Declan about the limo coming and the photographer coming in to take pictures and all the fancy clothes. I told him we went to OUR prom a long time ago."

"Mommy doesn't like my Daddy anymore, that's why she can go to Proms with you." The somewhat confused boy said cutely.

Meaghan flushed with embarrassment.

"Declan honey, we went on a date. Coach is a special friend who means a whole lot to me that I know a long time ago. Sometimes Mommies and Daddies have things happen that makes them sad and they start living in different houses, but your Daddy will always love you and take care of you, just like I will. But Mommy wants to be happy and have a special friend to."

Declan looked down at his pancakes, then at Coach and then back to his mother.

"Do you kiss?" He asked, prompting smiles and giggles from each of them.

"Yes, we kiss. I like Coach very much and he likes me. That's why he wants to get to know you. If someone likes me, they have to like you too." She said trying to measure her words.

"Unless your Mom has special plans, how would you like to go see some football players practice for a little while?" Jared asked.

"Real players!! Sure! Will there be hot dogs and soda?"

"No, it won't be a game, it will be players showing boys how to play. You'll see, umm ... if it's OK." He said looking to Meaghan with a questioned look.

"Exactly WHERE are these players?" She asked.

Jared went about explaining to her about Elmer Hollins phone call and the location of the school. Like he had figured, it was close by and she knew exactly how to get here.

As they ate breakfast Jared saw that Declan was a well balanced, well behaved, inquisitive youngster. When he got an answer to a question you could see him process the information and ask his next question. He didn't seem whiney and always obeyed his Mom and accepted the situation between his Mom and Dad. He was very protective of his mother and saw himself as man of the mouse, probably something drilled into him by his father and grandparents. When his mother told him that Jared and she were prom dates to give him a point of reference to their relationship he quickly associated it with his friend Benjamin's sister who had probably obsessed over her first prom, as young girls do, leaving an impression on her little brother and his friend. He didn't fear losing a monopoly on his mother to another man because even as he prepared for 1st grade, he was aware of his Mom's loneliness. It was apparent that Meaghan knew her little boy would have to grow up fast in some ways and held little back in explanations of situations. She had done a good job in putting things in a perspective for such an innocent to understand. But, despite Meaghan's claims that Matt was "a great father" Jared was beginning to have his doubts when he saw how quickly the boy was taking to him and Declan's lack of referral to what should have been the strong male figure in his life. He was more than open to accept "Coach Jared" as his mothers mate.

"Declan, have you ever heard of Boge Hollins?" Jared asked.

"Sure, he's a football player and my Mom even taught him in school." Declan answered smartly.

"Did you know he's going to go to MY college and play for my team next year?" Jared asked.

"Really? Are you a teacher too?"

"No, I'm the football coach, I just teach how to play football. But today we're going to go over to see Boge Hollins and watch him teach some young boys, just like you, how to play fair and play football right. Does that sound good?" He explained.

"Can we go Mom?" He asked her with a big questioning smile on his face.

"Yes, we'll all go and then we can show Coach Jared some things in Chicago and have fun, the 3 of us, OK?" She assented.

Soon they were, all three, in Jared's rental car headed for Crawford-Wilmette Consolidated School. Meg couldn't help but look adoringly at Jared for almost all the short trip. Each time he looked to her he could see the effect he was having on her, and he felt much the same way. The eye contact was not lost on Declan who couldn't help but smile to see his Mom so happy.

As they pulled into the small parking lot for the school they saw a group of 40 or so boys and men gathered on a striped and pylon lined field set up for football. As they walked closer it was apparent that the boys were split into two groups with men in blue Boys Club football jerseys heading up each. They each had a few assistants in white tee shirts and 15 or young boys in red tee shirts, shoulder pads and helmets. They were doing light contact drills to show the boys the basics of the game, how to tackle and be tackled.

As they got closer to Boge's group they heard him instructing the little players.

"While you think of football as a rough sport, many of you think that to tackle someone is to hurt them. You're NOT trying to hurt them, that's why we wear equipment. No one wants to go home from a game with an injury. When a play starts and you are playing defense you want to locate the player with the ball and stop them. Others are trying to prevent you from reaching that player. What's something we DON'T do when trying to reach the ball?"

"Blindside!" A few of the youngsters yelled.

"Right!" Boge agreed "Because that would be trying to hurt someone. There are rules about using your hands on offense and defense, and we always obey the rules. What is the first thing we have to remember about football?"

"It's a game, and games are fun!" Many of them yelled in unison.

"OK," Boge said laughing and pointing to an assistant, "Give me a 4 man line offense and a 4 man defense and a runner."

While young boys jumped up and down with hands raised two white shirted assistants tapped boys on the head and sent them to Boge who lined them up opposite each other and took the runner aside. One assistant squat down and explained to the boys how the offensive line was supposed to open the hole for the runner.

In minutes they ran the practice play with Boge taking an air snap and handing off to his runner while assistants ran substitutes in and out so each could experience contact. All the while on the other side of the field Dexter Tanksley was doing much the same with his group. Tanksley was older, perhaps 38 or so, a talented back with good hands who had to retire after just 8 seasons because of a series of concussions. His injuries kept him from national superstar status, but Bears fans knew he was something special and when he was right, the league knew him as a great offensive player.

While keeping a distance Jared Winslow was glad to see Boge so happy, laughing and showing the kids the fun and basics of the game while enjoying their innocence. As the small group took a breather Boge turned and saw the three people who had been watching and quickly realized who he saw.

"COACH WINSLOW!" He shouted as he ran to Jared and hugged him.

"Oh man, I didn't know you were coming this week." He bubbled.

"Boge, it's not an official visit, I'm in Chicago to visit a special friend, whom I think you know." Jared said as he turned to Meg.

"Uhh, ... oh my God, Miss MacDonald! My English teacher when I was living at Grandma's. How are you? I have to thank you for getting me interested in reading again. I passed along those books you gave me and they are making the rounds." Boge said as Meg blushed and took Boge's hand and shook it.

Then Boge looked down to the starry eyed little Declan.

"And who is this young football star?"

"This is Declan, Meaghan's, Miss MacDonald's, son." Jared said as Declan extended his hand to shake as well.

Jared Winslow could hardly believe the transformation of Boge Hollins before him. It was a young man who had taken an inventory of his life to find what he really had and what he really needed. The attitude and rule of the street had given way to common sense and his need to succeed.

One small thing that made Winslow proud was that Boge was wearing a NEAT baseball style bench cap. Coach was sure they hadn't been sent out, so Boge had made an effort to seek out the bookstore on-line to buy it and show-off his new colors.

"Boge, I'll let you get back to your work here. I just wanted you to know I was interested in what you were doing after I talked to your Dad. I'll be back and make arrangements ahead of time to meet with you and your family to prepare you for coming to University, maybe even get out for a catch. I'll be in touch." Coach told him before parting with another hug and handshake.

They watched for a few more minutes and then walked back to the car to resume their day together. Jared and Meg talked about the problems Boge had overcome and that filled little Declan's head with questions, mostly about football and college. While Declan watched the sights go by and asked questions, in the front seat Jared and Meaghan made suggestive eyes at each other, smiling as they read each others thoughts.

A sign they had seen 3 times advertising a "Cruise on the Great Lake" piqued Jared's interest and Meg told him they had never done that if he would like to, exciting Declan. The rest of the day was spent on the hour cruise on Lake Michigan and then late lunch at the Sears Tower followed by a trip to the top. Meg and her son had never done most of the sight-seeing that tourists do, so it ended up a special day for everyone. When they got back to the house Declan was ready for a nap after falling asleep in the car on the way back. Meaghan had to promise him that they wouldn't go anywhere while he slept and would be there when he woke up.